The Darkening Shadows
by TheYoungAuthor132
Summary: "I immediately jump out of my seat when I'm then greeted by a pair of bright yellow eyes." It's been 6 years since Chell left Aperture. But when Wheatley is brought back from space to bring her back to Aperture, what will she do? (Warning: Violence and strong language in some scenes)
1. Prologue - The Nightmare

**AN: Hello and welcome to my first fan fiction! My idea for this took some time to develop but enjoy! Uploading Chapter 1 as well at the moment. Please let me know what you think afterwards. :)**

* * *

**Prologue – The Nightmare**

My heart races as I run through the streets of the city. I look back briefly to see if I'm still being followed by these mysterious figures. I turn left down an alleyway and begin to speed up. I go down a series of alleyways until I find myself at a dead end.

I try to climb the wall in front of me, but fall after a few seconds. I back up against the wall as my pursuers come closer. One stops in the centre of the alley, her yellow eyes glowing and the other slowly made his way towards me. His bright blue eyes had burned through me with sorrow and guilt. I felt like I knew him from somewhere but I couldn't remember where. I close my eyes, knowing it's the end for me, but before everything stopped I heard a male voice whisper in my ear saying '_I'm sorry, luv_'. I knew I had heard that voice from somewhere. But as I opened my eyes to look at this mysterious man, I was held by a single hand at my throat. Everything around me began to fade to nothing and all I could see was a pair of abnormally bright blue eyes staring back at me...


	2. Chapter 1 - Memories of Regret

**Chapter 1- Memories of Regret**

~Chell~

I wake up with my heart pounding heavily and trying to catch my breath. It was one of the many nightmares that plagued me after escaping Aperture. I have tried to forget about that place and the atrocities I saw there, but they come back as fierce nightmares. Within these nightmares, two figures always appear, one with fierce, bright yellow eyes and the other with sorrowful, dark blue eyes. I always think that I know this pair from somewhere but nothing comes to me. As I dream of my darkest memories, I always remember two AIs, one hell-bent on testing(and sometimes Neurotoxin) with a bright yellow optic and the other always thinking of escape(that is before he tried to **_KILL_** _me_) with a bright blue optic.

He was my way out of Aperture, but instead forced me to stay, before I banished him into space. Every night, my mind has a conflict in whether sending Wheatley into Space was a good idea or not. Part of me still hates him and the other side still counts him as a friend. I would stare at the night sky for so long that I would almost feel him here with me. But there is always a voice in my head. _Her _voice. She had wanted me dead from the very beginning and some part of me still believes that _she _still wants her revenge.

After my nightmare of a human version of Wheatley chasing me to my death, I got up and walked to my balcony. I watched the stars fade as the sun rose. '_I know you're still alive, Wheatley. I just need to find you._' I thought to myself. I knew he was still out in Space but I didn't know where...

* * *

~Wheatley~

I watch the Earth as I circle it at an extremely slow pace, along with an annoying core that keeps babbling _on and on _about Space."SPPPPPPPPPPPAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I hear in the distance. It's muffled to me as I've stopped listening and talking to save energy. It's been years since I was banished here. Since my betrayal of the lady. I just wish that she was here so I could apologise to her for trying to kill her. I deserve what I got and I deserve this fate. I narrow my optic plates as I stare at the blue and green planet. It seems to be getting closer, not that I care. I just want to die, or shut down right now.

I begin to feel like I'm being pulled backwards, towards Earth. "Ugh," I manage to say, my voice crackling as I speak. "What's happening?!" The panic within me is rising at a fast pace as I fall through the planet's atmosphere. I scream as I burn through the atmosphere towards the ground. In the middle of my screaming came an unknown voice within me saying: "_Core overheating. Commencing automatic shut-down_." As I begin to shut-down, I see a field of wheat but as soon as I hit the ground, I've shut-down completely.


	3. Chapter 2 - Growing Shadows

**AN: Chapter 2 is finally here. Still working on the rest of the story from Chapter 7 and fixing some of the errors I found . Might upload Chapter 3 in a minute.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Growing Shadows**

~Wheatley~

When I wake up, I'm in so much pain. I try to move but it causes more pain. I close my eyes and sigh. "Ugh. My head." I moan quietly. '_Hold on a second...'_ I think to myself. '_I have a head. This is strange...' _I look down and end up even more surprised. '_What the hell is going on?!_' I think silently. What happened to me when I crashed? I looked around in an attempt to find an answer, but couldn't. "This room seems familiar..." I mutter under my breath. "It looks like the room where I first met the Lady..." It was then I knew that I was back in Aperture. But why was I back here? Silence filled the room. That is, until _she_ started talking.

"Oh," _She_ begins, staring at me through a camera in the corner. "It seems that the _moron _is awake." Instantly, I have a temptation to start screaming out of anger like I did when I was in control of the facility. When I went insane with power. "I am _not _a moron." I say loudly, gritting my teeth. I hear _her _laugh over the intercom, then she speaks again. "_Still_ living in denial then, _moron_?" _She _asks. "No." I answer. I've hated _her_ for every moment I spent in Space even though I deserved it. _"I should've left her in that potato battery." _I think to myself. After moments of silence, _she_ speaks again. "Let's stop wasting time_, moron,_ and do some _testing._" _She _says with no emotion.

I didn't _want _to test, but I knew I had no choice. I pull myself to sit on the edge of the bed. I notice when I look at my arms and legs, there's bright orange fabric around them. I pull a zip on the top of my clothing to reveal a vest top with the words '_Aperture Laboratories_' printed on it. I pull off the orange jacket and tie it around my waist. I look down at my feet to see a pair of Long-Fall Boots, securely strapped to my legs.

I slowly rise to my feet but nearly fall. I keep one hand against the wall for safety in case I fall again. I begin to walk, but at a very slow pace as I make my way towards the door. I know that I won't get released any time soon. I just need a _plan_.

* * *

~Chell~

Something doesn't feel right. Ever since that nightmare, I've been seeing things that aren't there. A few moments ago, I saw the same figure from my nightmare staring at me with the same incandescent blue eyes. As soon as I had turned around, _it_ was gone. I think it must be that I've not gotten that much sleep over the past 3 days. As I drive home in the heavy rain, something comes over me. It's something I haven't felt for 6 years. _"6 years," _I think to myself. _"6 years since I sent _him_ into Space."_ I immediately pull over to the side of the road and roll down the window next to me. The sound of the storm intensifies as I inhale the fresh air. I rest my head on the back of the seat when I notice a folder on the seat next to me. I picked it up and read through it. It was about a new outfit that could do anything you wanted it to do. Apparently, this suit also created two sets of portals as it had something similar to a Portal Gun engineered into the gloves. I was given a set to try it out. I set down the folder and started driving home. All of a sudden, as a flash of lightning appears, the figure appears again, but in front of the car. I slam on the brakes and turn on the warning lights. I get out of the car and into the storm. As I walk to the front of the car, I see nothing. I get back into the car and begin driving again.

As soon as I get back to my apartment, I slam the door shut and lock it behind me. As I turn around to face the window, another shadowed figure appears, in front of the window. The figure stares at me with bright blue eyes. _"I've been waiting for you, luv." _he says solemnly. I stare in shock for a few moments, being unable to move. As I blink, the figure disappears. In almost an instant, I run for my room. I press my back against the door and stare outside into the storm in an attempt to forget what just happened. After a few minutes, a new thought comes to mind. _"Why did that shadow have _his _voice?" _I think to myself. _"Was it supposed to be a memory or a guilty conscious? Maybe it was _his_ conscious." _So many questions and thoughts begin to swirl around in my head. This might be the beginning of something unexplainable...


	4. Chapter 3 - Early Release

Chapter 3 – Early Release

~Wheatley~

It's been months since I woke up back in Aperture. Since the tests began, only this time, I was the test subject. As I enter a new chamber, _Her _cold, computerized voice is transmitted over the intercom. "I have some news for you, _moron,_" _she _begins. I remain completely silent and scowl at the camera following my every move. "I'm releasing you early." This takes me by complete surprise, I almost feel happy, but I realize there's probably something else involved. "What's the catch?" I mumble without looking up. "Oh," _she _starts and I instantly know that something bad might happen. "I will be coming with you. This task _will_ require me to watch over you to make sure you don't mess it up."

Instantly, I feel like I should be dead. I _would _rather be dead than co-operate with _her_. "Why should I go?" I begin, staring straight into the camera as I speak. "Why can't _you _do it?" There's a long moment of silence until _she _speaks again. "Because there's someone that you know best that you could persuade to come back."

In almost an instant, I know who she's talking about. The Lady. I think about everything I did wrong. Part of me knows that it might be my only chance to apologize to her but the other knows that _she _might be trying to use me. After a few moments of thought, I reply to _her _offer. "Fine," I say with a defeated look on my face. "I'll do it."

* * *

~Chell~

I awake to the sound of rain hitting my bedroom window and the sound of my alarm clock buzzing. I slam my fist against the 'OFF' button on the clock and sat up straight, facing the window. My vision is still blurry from sleep as I attempt to read the time on the alarm. I just about see the numbers '_07:45_' in red LED lights. I quickly jump out of bed and straight to the bathroom. Minutes pass before I emerge, dressed and ready. I quickly grab a sandwich from the fridge and run towards the car.

I rush into the car at great speed, placing everything I need in the passenger seat. I quickly start-up the car and drive down a series of roads leading to my place of work. I work in a laboratory, not like Aperture, testing out new technology. When I was given the job, everyone began to worry about me. I guess it's because of my disadvantage of not being able to speak. I told them I would be okay and they haven't brought up the issue since. I pull into the car park and reverse into my space.

As soon as I got my stuff together and got out of the car, I begin running for the entrance. After moments of navigation through the multiple corridors of the building, I finally make it to my office. I set the items down on the table beside my desk. When I look back at my desk, there's a note that I didn't notice before. It has my name clearly written on the front. I open it slowly but cautiously. I'm shocked when I see the words '_She is coming for you, Chell...__' _written on the paper.

I drop the paper slowly away from my face to be greeted my the sorrowful face from my nightmares. I jump in fright and close my eyes, praying I'm dreaming. As my eyes open, the figure is gone again. I don't know what is happening, but I don't like it...


	5. Chapter 4 - Surprise Visit

**AN: Sorry this took so long to upload, I've been busy with revision for tests and I've just come back from my holiday so I'm uploading the next two chapters now. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4 – Surprise Visit

~Wheatley~

As I step out of the escape lift and into the light of the summer sun and the gentle breeze, I feel different somehow. After months underground completing tests, I felt like I was free from _her_. But then I realized that not only was she monitoring me but also beside me. I walk through the field that I fell in months ago, feeling miserable as I walk through the field. I come across a crater within the soft soil and realise that it was where I landed. I ignore it and walk further into the field of wheat.

_She _remains silent throughout the walk to the city, not saying a single word. After miles of empty space around us, we see the skyline of the city in the distance. "I'm sure that _Lunatic_ is in this city somewhere," _she _begins slowly as she begins to walk away from me. "I'm not trusting you to find her _alone_, moron. Because if you mess this up and you'll regret it." I growl quietly at the remark. "_I am _not _a moron,_" I think to myself. "_And if I had the power, I would put you back in that potato._"

_She _walks towards me to join me as I stand on the edge of the city. I close my eyes and think about what might happen if the Lady recognises me. I doubt she'll be happy to see me after 6 years of painful memories. After a while, I push the thoughts back and walk into the city with _her_. _She _had given me information about the lady that I would need, like her name, address, place of work and so on. As I walk through the city, I begin to take in my surroundings.

After what felt like hours of walking, we finally make it to her apartment. _She _stands there while I try to find an open door but can't. I then realize that there's an open window, so I climb up the wall, through the window and walk into the empty apartment. I look for clues on where she might be until my eyes catch on a colourful piece of paper. It's says: ' You are invited to the Autumn Ball on the 14th of October at Stonefield Laboratories. Doors open at 16:00.' I take the piece of paper and make my way out of the house in a swift and silent manner, trying my best to not alert anybody. "Find anything?" _She _asks me in a hushed tone. I nod and I give _her _the paper. _She _reads it and then gives it back to me. Tonight might be the only chance to ask her for forgiveness. So I at least have to try not to mess this up.

* * *

~Chell~

It's nearly 4 o'clock and I've just come off shift. I head over to the changing rooms within the building and set down my things. I turn around to open my locker when I notice a note pinned to it. I grab the note and begin to read it. It reads: 'If you need to, wear the suit underneath causal clothes to avoid detection.' I take the advice into note and wear my suit underneath my party clothes. Once I'm ready, I head over to my car and put the stuff into the back seat.

I walk back to the entrance where a security guard stands, checking everyone that comes to see if they're on the guest-list. I grab my ID Card from my pocket and present it to the guard. He nods and lets me pass through the entrance. I make it to the beautifully decorated Main Hall within a matter of seconds and sit down at one of the tables.

Hours pass and more guests arrive and the party begins. I glance at my phone to check the time. It's now quarter-past 8. I look around at the others. They're all dancing and chatting to each other while I just sit there, writing important notes about my latest experiment. It's nearly 9 o'clock when someone sits down at my table. "Hello." The stranger says to me. I grab a blank piece of paper and write '_Hello_' in pencil. I show the paper to the man and he gives me an odd look. "What's wrong?" He asks me with curiosity showing in his intense blue eyes. "Can't you talk?" I shake my head and grab the piece of paper. I then write down: '_I can't speak._' He remains silent for a moment. "Oh, I see." He says, pitying me.

He seems almost familiar. Like the man from my nightmares. Like _him_. I then grab the paper once more, this time writing: '_My name is Chell. What's your name?_' He looks at me smiling for a moment. "My name is Wheatley." He says. My eyes widen as soon as I he finishes speaking. He looks at me worried. "What's wrong, luv?" He asks me. I immediately jump out of my seat when I'm then greeted by a pair of bright yellow eyes. Almost instantly who the other person is. GLaDOS. I know I don't have enough time think, so I just need the act fast.


	6. Chapter 5 - From Nightmares to Reality

**AN: Hello again readers. Unfortunately, my laptop crashed when I wrote this chapter so I might need to rewrite it. :(**

* * *

Chapter 5 – From Nightmares to Reality

~Chell~

I quickly run out of the hall and towards the car park. I pull on my gloves and boots by the car and quickly grab my helmet out of the back seat. I slam the car door and begin to run into the night. I pull on the helmet and the system boots up almost instantly. The system begins to read my mind for any commands. I instantly think '_start-up super speed_' and I feel the motors within the boots speed up.

I look back periodically and both AIs are still chasing me. I turn right and head towards the demolition site of old offices. I see a fence coming up in front of me, so I quickly command the suit to activate the elevation feature. I'm then sent flying over the fence and land on the other side.

I continue running when I find _her _being catapulted into the air and on the other side of the fence and Wheatley climbing it at an extreme speed. I begin to sprint when I notice a staircase.

I immediately bolt for the stairs and run up them at an almost breakneck speed. I make it to the top floor when the stairs end. I run towards the ledge of the floor when they both find me at the edge of the broken floor. My heart is racing again as _she_ comes closer to me. I then finally gather the courage to speak. "If you want me dead, GLaDOS, then come and do it." I say, my voice slightly croaky.

_She _then moves even closer to me, ready to get me. _She _pushes me of the ledge and _she _does, I open a portal behind _her _and one below me in the ground. I turn around in a flying kick position and fly through the portal. I kick GLaDOS square in the back, forcing her forwards. I land and turn around, ready for _her _to come through the portal.

As _she _flies towards me, I punch her in the face, sending her flying towards the wall next to _him_. He stares at me in shock and amazement, mainly because I spoke for the first time. Before he says anything, I start up the motors and fly back to Stonefield.

I feel different somehow. Almost like I've conquered my darkest fears, but I know that deep down within me, I can't vanquish my demons. Even if I tried my hardest, I could never for get what had happened in Aperture. _His _betrayal, _him _turning GLaDOS into a potato battery, the countless times _he _tried to _KILL _me and me sending _him _into space. Even 6 years of freedom couldn't make me forget what happened back in Aperture. I make it back to the car park of Stonefield Laboratories and start to pack my things into the car carefully. I just hope _he _doesn't come back any time soon with _her_...

* * *

~Wheatley~

I watched the Lady fly off before I could say anything. I then stare at _her_, lying on the cold, hard floor unconscious for a few moments. Once _she _wakes up and manages to stand, _she _looks at me with anger shining within _her _pair of bright yellow eyes. "Why did you let her get away, _moron_?" _she_ asks me furiously. "I...Look, she..." I stutter, fearing what might happen to me. "What?" _she _asks me again.

"I...Couldn't catch her. She was...um...To quick to catch." I say hesitantly. _She _looks at me and then looks towards the skyline of the city. "I want you to find her," _she _begins, turning to face me. "And if you don't come back with that _Lunatic _I will make you regret your entire life."

I nod, agreeing to do what she wanted me to do. _She _then walks off, leaving me in the dark with only the street-lights as sources of light. I don't want to give in to _her_ but I know that if I want to apologise to the Lady, I have to find her.

* * *

~GLaDOS~

I storm out of the demolition site without looking back, heading back for Aperture. I know that the moron is going to mess it up again, I can feel it. _He_ probably won't follow my orders and try to run off, out of my sight.

I know one thing for certain though. _He'll_ refuse to go back to Aperture. Back to testing. Back to what both _him_ and the _Lunatic_ know as hell. But if _he _doesn't come back, I'll to force _him_ to come back. Besides, I can probably tell where _he's _going next...


	7. Chapter 6 - Hanging from Windowsills

Chapter 6 – Hanging from Windowsills

~Chell~

It's the end of October and it's been weeks since my reunion with the two AIs that have both changed considerably over the course of 6 years, along with my first words. My words of retaliation. It feels like there's unfinished business between me and GLaDOS. Like the pure hell of testing for what might be the remainder of my life. It's one of my days off and I sit in my room in complete silence, with only the sound of cars rushing past present in the room.

But why was _she _there with _him_? Is there something going on between them that I never knew? Or was it just so that _he _wouldn't try to escape from _her_? Whatever the reason was, I know that _she _was definitely in her line of fire. I curl up into a tight ball, resting my head on my knees, praying that I'm in some sort of coma so that the events of the past few weeks were just hallucinations.

Moments pass quickly when I hear tapping on glass. I look around to find the source of the tapping, then shortly ignore it. After a minute, the tapping begins again. I get up and check the halls and main room to find nothing. As I head back to my room, the tapping gets louder. I open my window and look up. I look the sides of the apartment. Still nothing.

Just as I begin to move away from the window, I hear a hushed whisper. "Over here," the voice says to me. "Look down." I look down to find Wheatley hanging from my windowsill. I say nothing as I've lost the power to speak, so I stare at him, totally confused as to why he is hanging there. "Could you help me up, luv?" he asks me in a hushed tone, his eyes shining up at me. I nod and give him my hand.

He grabs my hand and pulls himself up and through the window, stepping into my room. I shut the window as he walks around my room. I walk towards my bed-side table to grab my note-pad and pencil and his deep blue eyes follow my hands. He looks at me worriedly as I begin to write. I show him the words 'Why are you here, Wheatley?'. He remains silent for a few moments, trying to think of the best way to say his words. "Well," He begins, worried about what my reaction would be. "I had to get away from _her_. _She _wanted me to find you." I'm not really surprised at this but the fact that _she _is making him do _her _dirty work, is appalling. 'And?' I write down, an impatient look visible on my face. "_She _wants me to bring you back to Aperture. To test..." He finally says.

A small chill travels down my spine, like a spider crawling down my back at the fact that after _she _granted me my freedom, _she _wanted me to continue testing until what could be the end of my whole life. I stand there, staring into blank space as Wheatley tries to get my attention. I think about the events that happened to me during my time in Aperture. The constant fight to stay alive every single moment I was there. I always felt like I was about to die whenever I entered a new chamber. It felt like I was stuck in an infinite loop, repeating the same routine over and over again. I was always risking my life with every test I did. Always the risk of toxic pools, turrets and so many other things trying to take my life. Then _he _attempted to rid me of my life. The same thoughts circle me in my mind. The mainframe, the insanity, the Test Shaft and the fact that I sent _him _into space.

I feel my vision blurring as the memories spin in my mind. I then hear a voice call out to me."Hello?" a voice says to me, trying to get me to pay attention. "Can you hear me, luv?" My vision slowly returns as Wheatley tries to keep me awake. My vision returns and I find myself lying down on my bed and Wheatley sitting beside me. He grabs the pen and paper, then places them in my hands. I take the pen and paper and write down: 'But, why me? Why now? _She _said I was free...' I wait for him to respond, but he remains silent for a few minutes. After a while, he finally speaks. "'cause you were the only remaining, _living _test subject from Aperture," he says in a sad tone. "That was, until _she _brought me back from space..."

My eyes widen once he finishes explaining. "_Why does _she _want _me_?_" I think to myself. "_Why after 6 years does _she _want me to continue testing? If so, why didn't _she _just keep me in Aperture?_" So many questions circle my mind that it makes it harder to concentrate. We both remain silent in the room, looking at one another as if to say _"But why now?"_ My head begins to throb as I think about what might happen if I go back in _there_. It could spell out the end of my life. I almost feel myself slip out of consciousness again, but I'm drawn back into reality once more. "You okay there, luv?" I hear Wheatley ask me in a slightly quieter tone. I nod in reply as he looks at me, his eyes laced with worry. When my vision clears again, I can see him staring at me like I've just critically hurt myself. He stays like that for a few seconds before speaking again. "How come you're not speaking then?" he finally asks me. "'cause when I last saw you, you could speak." I explaining through the pencil and paper. I've written: 'I can only speak if I'm nervous, or about to do something stupid. Or if I'm angry sometimes.' After he's acknowledged my words, I begin writing again. 'So, why have you come to me then?' I show him the paper again, but he doesn't say a single word. It feels like he's hiding something from me. I can _feel _it...

* * *

~Wheatley~

I sit by the Lady's side, unable to respond to her question. I feel like if I mess this up, I might not get a second chance. "_But why do I deserve a second chance?_" I think to myself. "_I did try to _kill_ the Lady after all..._" I look at the Lady's expression. She's getting impatient because I haven't responded yet. I'm trying my best to think of the best way to put this lightly, but nothing comes to mind. "Well you see," I begin, worried about what her response might be. "After your fight with _her_, _she _told me to find you and bring you back to Aperture. So I went to find you, not that I was following _her _orders, but there's something I want to tell you." She stares at me, almost to say _"What do you want to say to me?"_

I close my eyes and inhale deeply. As I exhale, I look sorrowfully into her eyes. "I'm sorry," I say, with a guilty expression on my face. "I'm sorry for being bossy and monstrous and trying to kill you." The Lady is staring at me in complete shock now. "I just want to ask you for your forgiveness," I say, looking away briefly. "And if you don't want my forgiveness, then I'll okay with that. I'd just stay out of your way."

As I look back at the Lady, I see her eyes wet with tears. Taking me by surprise, she sits up and wraps her arms around me. I'm completely frozen in shock as she cries on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her in a comforting way, trying to calm her down. "It's okay," I whisper to her. "It'll all be okay, luv. Don't worry."

We sat there for what felt like hours when she calms down and moves away from me. I watch her as she gets up and walks to me, holding out her hand for me. I take her hand and stand up, I let her guide me down the corridor and into another room. "So this is where I'll be staying?" I ask her. She nods as I walk around the room. After a few moments, she waves to me, as if she's trying to say _'Good Night.'_. "Well, night, luv." I say as she leaves the room.

I lay down on the bed and try to sleep, but can't. So I stare at the ceiling sleeplessly, thinking about _her _words. If I didn't do anything to please _her_, I probably wouldn't be on the surface ever again...


End file.
